read-N-riot

According to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, "Passive programming promotes the library and its materials and services without providing a formal program at a specific time or date." *

Age of Child

2

5

8

11

14

17

Expenditure

15,460

15,490

15,360

16,390

17,280

As a library student I have been introduced to youth services through a number of targeted courses related to young adult and children’s materials. Most of the curriculum revolved around large reading projects in order to introduce students to books for those age groups. As a former English major, this was perfect for me, and the books were fun! They were beautifully illustrated, insightful, hilarious, innovative, and the list goes on. From these experiences, I decided I wanted to work in youth services. I wanted to have fun with my future job by being the one to create teen movie screenings, youth arts projects, and promote my favorite YA books. 

A couple of weeks ago I actually had a job interview for a library assistant position in youth services. I was overjoyed, it was an amazing opportunity, and I thought it was the perfect job for me. I pored over the job description so I could write a really good cover letter. I also went to the library in question and talked to the people working in youth services. I asked them about the programming they were doing and what they’re major responsibilities were. All of that did not prepare me for one request during the interview: To read aloud part of a children’s book. The purpose of this was to gauge my skill level because the person filling the job may be required to fill in for story time. I did my best but I knew it was weak and not entertaining. I wouldn’t be able to hold the attention of a six year old to save my life. There were probably other factors, but this, I’m sure, contributed to my not getting the job. 

I’m pretty sore about it, but if I’m honest, I’m also glad. The prospect of story time terrifies me. Following this experience, a school project lead me to research youth programs and their construction in the library. Story time is a big part of youth programs. Many of the articles I read on the subject were written by people who were really enthusiastic and seemed like genuinely cool people who loved what they were doing and dammit, I wanted to be one of them. 

The official blog of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) posted an article today called, “Unconventional Preparations for Storytime” by Katie Salo. She describes practicing in front of a mirror, being prepared with a change of clothes for after story time to hide the sweat, listening to story time CDs in the car, making flannelboards and props, and carrying it all around.  To Salo these untold prep stories weren’t tales of stress and aggravation. They were tales of care and thoughtfulness. She made me excited about story time. 

The point in sharing this tale is to affirm that all is not lost. If youth services is really my dream, then I had better make peace with story time. I plan to read other articles like Salo’s to get tips and a better sense of what story time is and to acquire their enthusiasm for such performance. I will practice in front of the mirror. I will grab my kid siblings and practice on them. While I would never want story time to be the bulk of my job, I do want to work in youth services, and I don’t want to be afraid. 

Sources: 

ALSC blog

Diversity in YA is a blog that is a useful source for thoughtful discussion and book recommendations. It is run by two YA authors, Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo. In one of their more recent posts, a blog reader asked for some book recommendations: “I was wondering if you could give me any recommendations of books that feature a minority heroine involved in a romantic plot line. I’m especially looking for books that discuss how beauty is related to romance for girls, and considerations of how race, class, and culture affect perceptions of beauty would be a plus. To give you an idea, I’m looking for a novel I could pair with Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park, which I think does a great job of not only positively portraying an overweight heroine, but also considering how poverty affects the female body and perceptions of beauty (which is then explicitly tied to her romance with Park).”

This is a complicated question that addresses issues and interests that affect a lot of girls and women. While thinking about what books I might recommend, I cast an eye over my personal collection. It seemed to me the few books I had, or remembered, that fit this description were Adult Fiction rather than YA. As a consumer of YA I decided to compile the recommendations other blog readers left in the comments of this Diversity in YA post for my own benefit but also for anyone else looking for a great reading list on this complicated topic. 

1. The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan (Untold and Unspoken)

2. Darkness Rising Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong

3. Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan

4. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

5. The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

6. Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore

7. Fire by Kristen Cashore

8. Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien (not a POC heroine, but one with severe facial scars)

9. My Most Excellent Year by Steven Kluger

10. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

11. Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper

12. Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

13. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray

14. Tankborn series by Karen Sandler

15. The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

16. Living Violet by Jaime Reed

17. The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent

18. To All of the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

19. When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer

20. Spiritwalker Trilogy by Kate Elliott

21. Huntress by Malinda Lo

22. Sorrow’s Knot by Erin Bow

23. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

24. Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gil

25.  The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

26.  Saga by Brian K. Vaughn

27. Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier

New Adult bridges the gap between YA and Adult fiction. ”The genre is targeted toward college-age people and those in their early 20s, and the characters, while typically a smidge younger, are also featured in that coming-of-age era.” 

The idea behind New Adult is two-fold. One, it’s for people who are leaving their teen years and starting college and who aren’t quite interested in or ready for adult fiction. Two, it’s a more mature cousin of YA perfect for the burgeoning adult market interested in YA. 

The early 20s are rife with conflict which is perfect for good complicated story telling. Author Kelley Armstrong says, ‘ “It’s your first time away from home, it’s your first real job, possibly your first really serious relationship,” she says. “They’re getting out there and trying to live an independent life, which leads to a ton of conflict.” ‘ 

I’ve discussed on this blog that one reason YA books are captivating adult audiences is due to their daring and innovative nature. Another reason, as stated by Meredith Bonacci, a teen mental health specialist, is that people in their 20s still identify with the teen years. She says, “It kind of helps you understand your own thoughts and feelings about that time in your own life.” 

Source:

     In 2012, Joel Stein wrote an article in The New York Times titled, Adults Should Read Adult Books. Stein says catching an adult reading a children’s book (like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games) is as embarrassing as catching someone looking at porn on an airplane. Stein uses the word embarrassing several times in this context, essentially shaming adults who enjoy YA reads. Stein says, “I appreciate that adults occasionally watch Pixar movies or play video games. That’s fine. Those media don’t require much of our brains.” He also says, “I have no idea what The Hunger Games is like…Maybe it delves into issues of identity, self-justification, and anomie that would make David Foster Wallace proud. I don’t know because it’s a book for kids.” 

     On the one hand, this point of view is just fine for Stein. He wants to spend his time catching up on “the previous 3,000 years of fiction written for adults.” He is welcome to do that. What I find troubling about this point of view is the shaming. This notion of embarrassment speaks more to Stein’s judgmental and baseless mindset then any real reasons why YA books have no merit for adult consumption. 

     During a similar time frame, Patricia McCormick also wrote an article for The New York Times. Hers is titled, Authors Taking Risks Isn’t Kid Stuff. McCormick spells out that the growing adult interest in YA books “isn’t about the guilty pleasures of communing with one’s inner child.” Rather, adults are discovering the daring and innovation of YA material. McCormick says, “Authors who write for young adults are taking creative risks—with narrative structure, voice, and social commentary—that you just don’t see as often in the more rarefied world of adult fiction.” As an example she cites a YA book about the Holocaust written from Death’s perspective. 

     YA books aren’t just about teen dramas. The real differences between YA and Adult fiction are these: In YA the main character’s ages are mostly teenaged and the narrative starts in the middle of the action on page one. Adult fiction often has much more prologue, a standard which stops many an adult from becoming fully interested in a novel. In my opinion, if a person likes reading, or on the flip side, needs a boost to become a more engaged reader, you can’t miss with a YA book. Look past the marketing toward the innovative plots and the arresting pace. 

Sources: 

Adults Should Read Adult Books

Authors Taking Risks Isn't Kids Stuff